Bristle tester



1930- F. w. SCHNEIDER 1,783,455

BRI STLE TESTER 7 Filed March 30, 1929 Patented Dec. 2, 1930 OFFICE PLATE Grass COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA BRIS'I'LE TESTER Application fiIed MarchSO, 1929. Serial No. 351,259.

The invention relates to apparatus for testing the stiffness of bristles such as are used in the manufacture of brushes. It is desirable to grade bristles according to stiffness in order to insure uniformity in brushes designed for certain work and for other reasons well-known to those skilled in the art,

and the present invention is designed to provide a device of simple construction which will reliably and accurately indicate bristle stiffness in accordance with an established standard. A further object is to provide a device in which the relative stiffness of two sets of bristles, one of which is used as astandard, may be compared.

ment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation. And Fig. 3 is a section through one .of the bearing blocks on the line III-III of Fig. 1. i

, The framework of the device comprises a base 1 and two vertical standards 2', 3 bolted to the base. The corners of the base are stpreferably provided with four leveling 2 and 3 are a pair of pointer members. These members are similar in construction and each comprises an axle 6 and a pointer 7, whose upper end is extended through the axle, turned laterally and then again extended back in the block 9 and at their outer ends in the screws 10, 10, such screws being locked in position by means of the nuts 11, 11. The weights 8, 8 normally hold the pointers in vertical position. Also carried upon the base 1 is a scale plate 12 over which the ends of the pointers 7, 7 are adapted tomove;

The upper ends of'the bars 2 and 3 are slotted, as indicated in Fig. 2 and in these slots are mounted a pair of bearing blocks 13, 13 of the cross section indicated in Fig. 3.

These blocks are clamped in any desired position of vertical adjustment by means of a oair of screws 14, 14 by means of which the sides of the slot can be sprung towards each other One embodithe relativepositions of the twopointers indicatestherelative stiffness of the two sets through the axle and provided with a weight i 8. The axles are pivoted at their inner ends FREDERICK w. ,SCIIIFEIDER, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR- T0 PITTSBURGH in order to apply clamping force to the bearing blocks. Mounted for rotary adjustment in the blocks 13, 13 is a bar 15adapted to carry the bristles to be tested. The endsllfi and 17 of. the bar are reduced in diameter and are journalled in the blocks 13, 13. Secured to the end 17 is a hand.wl1eel;18 for giving the bar a movement of rotary adjustment and also mounted upon this end 17 is a ratchet wheel '19. The" ratchet wheel 19 is engaged by a pawl 20 carried by a bracket 21 secured to the bar .3. The-bar 15 is provided with a pair of perforations 21, 21,"who.se outer sides are closed by the blocks 22, '22 whichinay-be moved in andcoutl, for clamping purposes by means ofthe nuts .23, 23. These nuts are mounted upon the screws 24, 24 WhlOll are secured at their innerends to the blocks 22, 22. Scales 25, 25 are provided upon the fa'cesofthe bars 2fand13 (Fig. 1) in order to give an indication of theposition of the bar with respect to the axle 6. i 1

When it is'desiredto compare the stiffness of a setof bristles." .26 with astandard set of bristles 27, these two. sets are clamped inthe bar 15 by means of the blocks 22,. 22 and the hand wheel 18 is tu'rnediso as to rotate the bar, causing the bristles to engage the upper ends of the pointer. members and swing them to the positions indicated in Fig. 2'. Since the pointer members are similarly weighted,

of bristles. ,The device may thus be used for the purpose of. comparing sets of bristles with a standardlset of. known stiffness,

ness of the bristles upon the scale '12. In

this case, the apparatus is calibrated so that the readingon the. scale gives a comparison with some known standard. The vert cal adjustmentof the bar 15 permits the device to be used to test-bunches of bristles of varying length 7 n What '1 claim is: I

1. In combination a bristle tester, a pivoted pointer yieldingly held in one position, a scale over which the pointer is adapted to swing, alholderfor a bunch of bristles adapt- 1 ed to hold one end of the bunch, leaving the other end free, and mounted for rotary adjustment adjacent the pointer in such position that the pointer is adapted to be en gaged by the free end of the bunch of bristles in the holder and moved thereby when the holder is rotated, and means for securing the bristle holder in the position to which it is adjusted.

2. In combination in a bristle tester, a frame, a pointer member mounted in the frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a scale for indicating the position of the pointer, gravity means for holding the pointer at zero position, a bar in parallel with said axis and mounted for rotary adjustment in the frame above the pointer member, means for clamping one end of a bunch of bristles to be tested to said bar so that the bunch projects away from the axis of the bar and the free end of the bunch is adapted to engage the pointer member, and means for securing the clamping bar in the position to which it is adjusted.

In combination in a bristle tester, a frame, a pointer member mounted in the frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, a scale for indicating the position of the pointer, gravity means for holding the pointer at zero position, a bar in parallel with said axis and mounted for rotary adjustment in the frame above the pointer member, means for clamping one end of a bunch of bristles to be tested to said bar so that the bunch projects away from the axis of the bar and the free end of the bunch is adapted to engage the pointer member, and means for securing the clamping bar in the position to which it is adjusted, said bar also being mounted for vertical adjustment in the frame.

4. In combination in a bristle tester, a frame, a pair of similar pointer members mounted in the frame for swinging movement with their axes of rotation in horizontal position and in alinement with each other, gravity means for holding the two pointer members at Zero position, a bar in parallel with said axes and mounted for retary adjustment in the frame above the pointer members, and means for clamping one end of each of two bunches of bristles in the barso that the bunches project away from the axis of the bar and the free end of one bunch is adapted to engage one pointer member and the free end of the other bunch is adapted to engage the other pointer member. V

5. In combination in a bristle tester, a frame, a pair of similar pointer members mounted in the frame for swinging movement with their axes of rotation in the horizontal position and in alinement with each other, gravity means for holding the two pointer members at zero position, a bar in parallel with said axes and mounted for rotary adjustment in the frame above the pointer members, and means for clamping one end of each of two bunches of bristles in the bar so that the bunches project away from the axis of the bar and the free end of one bunch is adapted to engage one pointer member and the free end of the other bunch is adapted to engage the other pointer mem her, said bar also being mounted for Vertical adjustment in the frame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of March, 1929.

FREDERICK W. SCHNEIDER. 

